Known chemical laser methods and devices utilize electric discharges, flash lamps, or flames to produce a highly excited species which is then allowed to react with other atoms or molecules to achieve population inversion necessary for lasing. Devices of this type require elaborate burners, mixers, premixers, power supplies and etc. Chemical lasers of this type also operate only at subatmospheric pressure which is not necessarily desirable.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a method of producing a continuous wave chemical laser output.
Another object of this invention is to provide a chemical laser method in which the chemical reactions involved can be carried out at atmospheric or higher pressure.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a chemical laser method in which free radicals are generated by interaction of suitable chemicals with laser radiation.
A still further object of this invention is to utilize the free radicals generated by causing further chemical reaction with other compounds to ultimately produce a laser output.